


Little do we know the stars welcome him with open arms

by SolarSystem



Category: The Hollow (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Apologies if they're a little OCC, Found Family, Gen, Gustaf is the MVP, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, In this house we love and cherish Kai and Gustaf, Kai gets the parent figure he deserves, Tags updates as story continues, They're just slight references though, mild spoilers for s2
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-15
Updated: 2020-05-16
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:15:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,893
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24194167
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SolarSystem/pseuds/SolarSystem
Summary: Kai's never had a home before. He didn't expect to find it upon nearly getting hit by a car. Nor did he expect it to come in the form of Gustaf."'Alright, a general rule in life, kid. Don’t follow random people into cars.' Gustaf attempted to lift the mood, his eyes pinned to the road and flickering to Kai every so often. The pressure in his chest lessened slightly as he heard a huff of laughter from the seat beside him."
Relationships: Gustaf (The Hollow) & Kai (The Hollow), The Weird Guy (The Hollow) & Kai (The Hollow)
Comments: 37
Kudos: 132





	1. Home

It was late into the night as Gustaf exited the building of the Hollow Games Studio. As the live show host and a programmer, his work was exhausting and ceaseless- even after the show has ended. Folding his sunglasses and clipping them onto his shirt, he set off to leave the premises.

Most of the building lights were off, save for a few rooms that remained lit as Gustaf made his way to his car (probably the custodial staff cleaning up). He climbed into the vehicle with a long stretch and a stifled yawn, then fished out his keys and turned on the ignition, the engine coming to life with a roar. 

The man drove out the empty parking lot and into the equally empty road, flicking on the radio and turning to his favorite channel. The radio host’s voice droned on as Gustaf thrummed his fingers idly against the steering wheel, twin beams illuminating the dark vacant streets in front of him. 

_ “Alright, this next song is for all those wanting some late-night nostalgia. This is the classic, ‘Creep’ by Radiohead,” _

The host from the car stereo said, their voice crackling with static. A small smile made its way onto Gustaf’s face as a familiar tune began to fill the car. The mindless thrumming on the wheel fell into beat with the music as a voice started to sing over the instrumental.

_ “When you were here before, couldn't look you in the eye. You're just like an angel, your skin makes me cry.” _

Gustaf mouthed along with the lyrics, swaying slightly to melody. His house wasn’t that far away, he should arrive shortly after the song ends. In the distance, shining above the few scattered clouds, the stars seemed to twinkle placidly in time with the melody.

_ “You float like a feather in a beautiful world. I wish I was special. You're so fuckin' special,” _

When the lead singer sang the curse, Gustaf couldn’t help but hum along instead of cursing himself. Being a live host for a game whose general audience were children would do that to you- cursing was a big no-no. Besides, Gustaf told himself, he had class and a reputation to uphold in his very empty car.

_ “But I'm a creep, I'm a weirdo-” _

A few feet away from the vehicle, something darted across the road, effectively interrupting Gustaf’s solo karaoke session. With panic rushing through his veins, he slammed his foot down on the brakes, the tires skidding to a stop against the worn road. The man squinted through the windshield, there was a small figure leaning over the hood of his car. A growing horror settled in the pool of his stomach- he was sure he hit the brakes in time but what if he didn’t? 

Gustaf rolled down his window, poking his head into the cool night air. 

“Hey! Are you… alright…?”

He trailed off, his eyes growing wide as he saw a child with bruises blossomed on his face, a fresh nosebleed dripping down his chin. The child looked familiar- dark red hair, a white v-neck with blue sleeves, and eyes bright with fear. He was a contestant on a recent game of the Hollow- what was his name? It started with a ‘K’ right? K...K…Kai, that was it!

“Kid, you okay? Wait- I didn’t hit you, did I? I swear I punched the brakes in time-”

“No! No, you didn’t hit me…” Kai squinted at Gustaf, the man’s signature blue scarf fluttering in the wind, and then blinked. “Weirdy?”

“Name’s Gustaf, kid. What happened to you? You need to go to the hospital-”

“No!” he shouted, slapping his hand against the metal surface of the car. Gustaf jumped at the sheer volume of the kid’s voice. Kai immediately looked sheepish and rubbed the back of his neck, averting his gaze to the asphalt at his feet. “I mean, I-I can’t go- they’ll call my parents…”

A gnawing dread joined the horror in Gustaf’s stomach as he swallowed thickly. Maybe the kid got into some trouble and didn’t want his parents to know, he rationalized. Stop jumping to conclusions. “How about your friends- the ones from the game? Uh, Mira… and Adam were they?”

Kai blinked in surprise. “You remember them? You remember  _ me _ ?” Then he shook his head and immediately gripped it, groaning in regret. “No, I can’t. It’s past midnight- I can’t bother them.”

Worrying his lips, Gustaf sifted through his very few options. He couldn’t take the kid to the hospital or his friends, or the police or his parents by extension. He couldn’t just leave him either. Gustaf sighed and squeezed the steering wheel,

“Listen, I’m on my way home right now. I can take you there and take a look at your injuries. That sound okay?”

The boy ducked his head, clearly weighing the pros and cons of following a stranger. Finally he looked back up and nodded. Gingerly, he limped over to the side of the car, crawling in when Gustaf unlocked the doors with a click. The car started again with a faint humming from the engines, traversing through the streets. Gustaf wordlessly handed some tissues he grabbed from the glovebox to Kai, who took them with a soft ‘thank you’ and pressed them against his nose.

“Alright, a general rule in life, kid. Don’t follow random people into cars.” Gustaf attempted to lift the mood, his eyes pinned to the road and flickering to Kai every so often. The pressure in his chest lessened slightly as he heard a huff of laughter from the seat beside him. 

“Then what am I doing now?” The boy shot back, his voice weaker and more strained than Gustaf remembered from the game. What the hell happened to him?

Deciding not to push it for now, Gustaf decided to talk about lighter subjects. “So, what do you think of the newest show of the Hollow?”

At the mention of the game, Kai’s eyes seemed to light up. “It’s awesome! I love the new directions it went- the ghost train was a cool addition.”

A small feeling of pride unfurled in Gustaf’s chest at the praise for the story. He did help with the new parts of the game. “What about the bar, huh? That was pretty cool too, right?”

Kai snickered, his face crinkling with mirth. “Eh, the show was subpar. Wasn’t  _ cool _ enough.”

“What!” The show host gasped in mock hurt, “My performance was perfect!” The kid’s cackling grew at his dramatic display. 

“Sure it was,” Kai grinned, peering out the window as the two pulled up in a driveway of a small house. Gustaf clicked off his seatbelt and exited, the boy following his actions. He rounded the car to help Kai out, raising a silencing eyebrow at the kid’s protests. His limping had not gone unnoticed by the man. 

They climbed the few steps to the front entrance. Kai took in the appearance of the house as Gustaf unlocked the door with his keys. It was a quaint building, a small lush garden surrounding the base of the outer walls. The windows were dark so that meant no one was home (or they were asleep). Did Gustaf live alone? Despite that, it looked like a home.The sound of clanking keys and the creak of a door directed Kai’s attention back to Gustaf, who was about to enter the house but then paused.

“Uh, kid. Are you by any chance allergic to cats?”

Kai shook his head. Cats?

Gustaf beamed at this and gestured for the boy to come in, closing the door after him. He took off his shoes and Kai did the same. As Kai bent down to place his shoes against the wall, something soft bumped into his back. When he turned around, he was greeted by a fluffy black cat. A very adorable fluffy black cat. With a small smile, Kai tentatively reached to pet the cat, stopping to look hesitantly at its owner.

“Go ahead, Luna’s friendly.”

He ran his fingers through Luna’s fur, she purred in return while chasing the contact. With a bright mew she rubbed her head against his hand. 

“Aw, she likes you.” Gustaf cooed. Then he stretched his weary limbs and waved Kai over as he went further into the house, flipping on the lights as he did so. Kai got up from the wooden floors and followed after. He glanced backwards, smiling when he saw Luna trailing not far behind.

The next room was a small living area; there was a tv and an accompanying couch and coffee table. There were a few shelves full of books, surprising Kai. Gustaf didn’t strike him as the reading type. Then again, he didn’t seem to be the gardening type either. Kai looked over at the various houseplants that littered the room, frowning when the man was nowhere to be seen.

“Gustaf?” He called out, cringing inwardly at how dry his throat sounded. Shuffling rang from somewhere in the house and Gustaf emerged with a small first-aid kit, an ice pack, and a wet towel in hand. 

“Take a seat.” He said, gesturing to the sofa.

Kai did, settling into the cushions, staring curiously as Gustaf dug through the box. 

“How’s the nosebleed ‘lookin?” Gustaf asked as he crouched down next to Kai, handing the towel to him. 

“Thanks. It stopped bleeding so I guess that’s good.” He replied wiping the dried blood away with the towel, watching as splotches of red bloomed on the surface. 

“Kid…Kid, what happened to you?”

Kai looked away to the side, focusing his attention onto a branching plant on the window sill, and not at the concern in Gustaf’s eyes. “I got hurt- thought that was kinda clear.”

Gustaf sighed, How could he phrase this? “You can trust me, Kai.” At that, Kai snapped back to the man. He didn’t think the host remembered his name. “I won’t tell anyone if you don’t want me to. I’m just worried about you.” He raised his hands in a peaceful gesture.  _ I won’t hurt you.  _

“It’s… It’s not that I’m scared that you’ll tell people. Even if you did, it wouldn’t matter.” Kai wrung the towel in his hands. Gustaf turned around and got the ice pack, giving it to the boy.

“What do you mean?” He asked, despite the intense twisting in his gut. The truth was going to be ugly.

“My parents.” Kai said bluntly, holding the ice to his face. “They’ve got the best lawyers money can buy. If you try to say anything, you’ll get slapped with a lawsuit you can’t win against. Believe me, I’ve tried.”

A tightness seized Gustaf’s throat as a feeling of helplessness and futility washed over him. It wasn’t fair- how could someone hurt a kid and just get away with it? Phantom blows echoed throughout his body.  _ You know, _ a voice inside his head murmured.

“I’m sorry.” He finally choked out, clenching his fist against his knees. “I’m sorry I can’t do more for you.”

“Dude,” Kai said with a small chuckle. “You took me to your place and patched me up. That’s a lot you did already. Thanks.” He frowned when Gustaf still stared at the floor, his face twisted in distress. The boy nudged him with his foot and gave a small hopeful smile. “Hey. I mean it. Thank you.”

Gustaf sighed and stood up, “You’re welcome, kid. You alright with talking the couch? I’ll grab some blankets and a pillow for you.” 

Kai nodded, and then jolted slightly when something jumped onto the sofa. Luna tottered over to the boy, nestling beside him with a loud purr. 

“Oh, Luna likes to sleep next to people. If you’re cool with that…”

“Yeah, it’s fine.” Kai said as he absentmindedly scritched at Luna’s chin. “I’ve always wanted a cat but my mom’s allergic.” 

“A shame.” Gustaf shouted back, having left to search for spare blankets and pillows in a closet. He returned with them, draping them over Kai with a grin and plopping the pillow next to the boy; the smile growing wider as a burst of laughter erupted from under the covers. 

“You want anything else? Water? Tylenol? I think I saw you grip your head a while ago…”

“That would be great, thanks.” He gave a thankful smile when Gustaf handed him a pill and a bottle of water he swiped from the kitchen. 

“Uh, anything else, kid?” Gustaf asked as he watched Kai settle in for the night.

“No...Thanks, Gustaf.” The boy replied with a smile. At his feet, Luna mewed her version of ‘goodnight’.

Hesitating for a few moments, Gustaf ruffled Kai’s unkempt hair. “Get some sleep, kid.”

He walked to the entrance of a hallway, where his room was, and flicked off the lightswitch. As he entered his room, he could hear a faint voice from the living room.

“Goodnight, Weirdy.”

  
  
  
  
  



	2. Sunny Side Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kai wakes up and has a normal breakfast. For a moment, it feels like he's a normal kid with a normal life. Like he's happy.

Sleep always came easy for Gustaf. After all, a good night’s rest was ideal for his job. You can’t have a cranky show host- the ratings would plummet! But that night, the man found himself tossing and turning before he could fall asleep. Something suffocating clung onto his skin like a disease he couldn’t wash off. It was a sickeningly familiar feeling- a childish fear that stubbornly resurged after years of its absence. 

After a few minutes of convincing himself he was safe, Gustaf’s mind wandered to Kai’s situation. In the show, Kai was one of his favorites; the perfect trope of the underestimated comic relief. He was a bright and strong kid, Gustaf couldn’t help but see a bit of his younger self in the boy. Maybe that was why he felt this overwhelming urge to protect him. He never had anyone there for him as a kid. Maybe he could be there for Kai- at least for a little bit. But a part of his mind warned that he was being intrusive, sticking his nose where it didn’t belong.

Sighing, Gustaf rolled over to his side, shaking away his thoughts. His eyes slid shut and he fell into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

  
  


Kai awoken to the sound of clinking in another room. Yawning as he stretched, he swung his legs into a sitting position. The room was still, a pool of sunlight flowed from a window, glowing specks of dust swirling in the beam. He rubbed any remainders of sleep from his eyes and noticed that Luna was nowhere to be found. _Huh_ , he thought, getting up from the sofa. _Maybe she’s eating breakfast or something like that._

More clattering rang from the hallway, a voice called out. “‘Mornin, kid, bathroom’s down the hallway and to the left!”

“Good morning, Gustaf.” He yelled back, following the instructions and entering the bathroom. Turning on the fluorescent lights, Kai noticed a post-it note on the mirror. It read:

_“Rise and shine, kid! There’s a spare brush in the cabinet”_

Under the words, there was a crudely drawn smiley face. Kai couldn’t help the small chuckle that escaped his lips. Rummaging through the cabinet, he found the tooth brush and began to wash up. After he finished, Kai left the bathroom, nearly tripping over Luna who had decided to plant herself in front of the door.

“Woah! Hey, Luna!”

The cat circled around his legs, purring as she did so. Kai reached down to give her a quick pet, then made his way to the source of the noises in the house.

He walked into the kitchen, the air filled with the smell of cooking breakfast. Against the wall was a stove, a fridge, and a few countertops. A small window was fixed over the counters, where sunlight streamed in freely. It was cracked open, a soft cool breeze flowing through the room. Gustaf was in front of the stove, singing a familiar song under his breath. 

The man whirled his head around, a grin on his face. He wore an apron that read _“It ain’t easy being purr-fect”_ , much to Kai’s amusement. At his legs, Luna mewed her approval of her owner’s attire. 

“Hey, kid. How do you like your eggs? Wait. Do you like eggs? Can you eat eggs?”

Fighting a fit of laughter, Kai responded. “Yes, I can eat eggs, and I’ll take ‘em any way. Thanks for cooking for me.”

Gustaf hummed as he cracked an egg into a heated pan on the stove. “No problem. How’d you sleep last night? Hope you didn’t get possessed by the ghost that lives in the corner.”

This time Kai laughed, widening Gustaf’s smile. The boy took a seat at what he presumed was the dining table. “I slept alright. Does the ghost pay rent?”

“Well she’d better,” Gustaf grumbled, eliciting another burst of laughter from Kai. “And kids like you need at least 8 hours of sleep to function properly.” He plated Kai’s breakfast and placed it on the table along with a glass of water.

“Thanks. I don’t think I got 8 hours of sleep last night, though.” Kai said with a raise of an eyebrow, glancing at a clock on the wall. It was around 9:30, he probably got 6 hours of sleep if he was generous with how much time he spent tossing around. Luna did help with falling asleep though, her adorable purring was rather relaxing. 

Gustaf ruffled Kai’s hair, taking a seat across him with a mug of coffee in hand. “Don’t make it a habit, kid. You wouldn’t wanna get arrested by the sleep police.”

“That’s not a thing.” Kai retorted, taking a bite of his eggs. 

“Uh, yeah it is. It rhymes.” Gustaf said simply as he drank from his mug, raising a challenging eyebrow.

Kai squinted at Gustaf’s unwavering grin, muttering something that sounded like _‘Sleep police, my butt’,_ to which the man graciously ignored.

As the two finished up their breakfasts, the morning silence was filled with easy chatter about random topics; the new Hollow game, Luna’s strange obsession with the color yellow, and a tv show that they both watched.

“The finale of the season was such a cool twist!” 

“Ack, kid- no spoilers! I haven’t seen it yet.”

“What? It’s been out for a while now, though.”

“What can I say? I’m a busy guy, y’know?”

Kai made a face. “Adult life sounds tough.” Gustaf let out a groan as he leaned back in his chair, the legs tipping dangerously off the ground. He couldn’t agree more. 

“Ain’t that the truth, brother. But hey, it’s got its ups and downs.” Kai snickered at Gustaf’s words, happiness bubbling in his chest. 

Was this how eating breakfast with someone else felt? Eating was typically a solitary activity, he had grown used to seeing those two empty seats across from him at the table. The idea of not being alone and being _safe_ was so novel to him. It was a wonderful feeling and Kai knew he was going to miss it when he left, the last thing he wanted was to bother Gustaf any longer.

Then, the Gustaf’s chair lurched forward as it went back to its original position with a sigh. “Kid. We gotta talk about what happens next.”

The boy stared down to his lap, fiddling nervously with his hands. He gave a half-hearted shrug. He didn’t want to do anything, but he knew he couldn’t ignore the problem forever. 

Gustaf frowned, scratching the back of his head. It never was easy dealing with stuff like this. “Well what about your friends? How much do they know?”

“They know my parents aren’t the best and y’know,” Kai gestured to his face. “They also know there’s not much they can do about it besides being there for me.” A small smile creeped onto his face.

“They’re great friends.” Kai breathed out, gratefulness gleaming in his eyes. He has friends who've got his back. That’s good, Gustaf thought.

“You wanna meet up with them? Uh, to chat or whatever kids do.”

“Yeah,” Kai nodded. “That sounds good. Can…Can…” He fumbled with the hem of his shirt furiously, his shoulders tensing slightly. Gustaf’s brow furrowed at the sight.

“Yeah, kid?” He asked softly. “As long as it’s not murder, I’m down for pretty much anything.”

The boy gave a surprised chuckle, some of his previous anxiety vanishing at Gustaf’s attempt to be comforting. “Can I ask them to come over here? I-I don’t think I can step outside, if you get what I mean.”

Gustaf nodded sympathetically. “Of course, kiddo. You wanna call ‘em now, or…?” Kai pulled out his phone and felt a tug at his heart at the lack of calls from his parents. Was he glad they didn’t pursue him, or was he disappointed they didn’t care? His thoughts were interrupted by a sudden hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see Gustaf with a reassuring expression.

“I’ll be in the other room, give you some privacy.” He said, making his way to the living area with Luna at his heels. Kai wondered who he should call first and decided on the sanest person of the group. Selecting the contact, he brought the phone to his ears, listening to the trilling of the dial until he heard the tell-tale click.

“Hello? Kai?”

“Hey, Mira! How are you doing?”

“I’m doing great, thanks for asking- wait, hold on.” There was some shuffling on the other side and distant shouting. “Miles! Stop screaming so much, I’m on the phone!” There was some more shouting, “Ugh- I don’t care about your dumb game, just keep it down!” 

“Mira? Everything okay?”

“Yeah.” She said, shifting to bring the speaker closer. “Miles was having a ‘heated moment’ on his weird shooting game. Anyway, what’s up?”

“Uh. So some stuff happened last night-”

“Oh my gosh, are you okay?” 

“Yeah, I’m fine. it-it’s kind of a long story- I mean not really- but I’m at Gustaf’s place right now.”

“The Weird Guy? He didn’t…kidnap you, did he?”

“No, no, he helped me out. He’s actually really nice...Can you come over? If you’re not busy or anything.”

“Of course, Kai. Just send the address. Is Adam coming too?”

“I’ll ask him, if he’s not busy hanging out with Reeve.”

“Alright, see you soon, Kai. Love you!” Kai could practically hear her grin, a smile of his own was growing on his face as well.

“Love you too, Mira. Thanks.” With a click, they hung up. Kai texted her the address, receiving an emoticon of a thumbs up in return. A few moments later, she messaged him that she bumped into Adam on the way and would be dragging him along with her. Well that saved Kai some time. He snickered when he was sent a photo of Adam saluting while riding the back of Mira’s scooter. 

_“Eyes on the road!”_ He texted.

_“It’s Adam, I’ve temporarily hijacked into Mira’s phone.”_

_“Does she know?”_

_“Haha nosajfrnavcmdk”_

Closing his eyes, Kai saluted for a fallen soldier. May Adam rest in peace.

Gustaf poked his head from the doorway, smiling when Kai gave him a thumbs up. He walked over, messing up the kid’s hair.

“You’ve got good friends, kid.”

Kai swatted at Gustaf’s hand jokingly, the warm feeling in his chest growing even more. 

“Yeah, I know.”

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you liked this chapter! Something domestic because the boys deserve that much :')
> 
> Kudos and comments are very much appreciated! Love you!!
> 
> On a side note, I've been listening to the Younger Hunger on repeat and its probably rubbed off in my writing lol  
> You should give them a listen!

**Author's Note:**

> This show is very good and Gustaf is a gem from The Hollow. You can see I love him very much.
> 
> Hope you enjoyed! Kudos and comments are appreciated if you did!


End file.
